2019 Wanda Diamond League champion and current 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will make her first Diamond League appearance in four years when she competes alongside fellow US stars at the Meeting de Paris on June 9th.
McLaughlin-Levrone, who has broken the 400m hurdles world record four times in the last two years, is set to appear in the 400m flat on her first appearance at the Stade Charléty.
The New Jersey native may still be a relatively unknown quantity in the 400m, but coach Bob Kersee has backed her to run one of the fastest times in history. “Sydney can do 50’’ in the 400 m hurdles, so she’s got the speed and stamina, and now she has the necessary aerobic base to run a sub-48’’-time," he said. Only two women, Marita Koch and Jarmila Kratochvilova, have ever run under 48 seconds outdoors in the 400m.
Having seen Dutch rival Femke Bol dominate the 400m hurdles over the last two years, McLaughlin-Levrone will be wanting to prove herself once again on the Wanda Diamond League circuit as she returns for the first time since her title-winning performance in Zurich in 2019.
She will be one of several American superstars to hit the blue track of the Stade Charléty at Meeting de Paris. Grant Holloway and Devon Allen have already been confirmed for the the men's 110m hurdles, while reigning Wanda Diamond League 200m champion will also be in action in the French capital.
Lyles claimed the fifth Diamond Trophy of his career in Zurich last year, and he will be hoping to pick up his 19th win in the series in Paris.
Olympic pole vault champion Katie Moon is also eyeing Diamond League success this year, after she got her campaign off to a winning start at the season opener in Doha earlier this month. The 31-year-old, who has never won the Diamond Trophy, will be up against her compatriot and rival Sandi Morris at the Meeting de Paris.
Another American who already has points on the board this season is Rai Benjamin, who will be hoping to make another stride towards the final when he lines up in the men's 400m hurdles. Reigning Wanda Diamond League champion Valarie Allman, meanwhile, will lead the line in the women's discus.
The Wanda Diamond League is the premier one-day meeting series in athletics. It comprises 14 of the most prestigious events in global track and field. Athletes compete for points at the 13 series meetings in a bid to qualify for the two-day Wanda Diamond League Final in Eugene on 16th-17th September.
